Card punch



Jan- 13, 1953 LE ROY M. OSBORNE ET AL 2,624,940

CARD PUNCH Filed Feb. ll, 1949 Patented Jan. 13, 1953 CARD PUNCH LeRoyM. Osborne, San Rafael, andBerger- StockfletlipParadisefGove, Calif.y

Application February 11, 1949, Serial-Nol`7'5z777 2 claims. (ci.sii-.229

. 1A Our invention relatestomeans `for cuttingor removing'a portion ofmaterial from a sheet such as a card, paper andthe like-andis'particularly concerned-with a punch forfaccurately removing a portionof a sheet or card from a predetermined location.

While numerous forms of punches for use by hand have heretofore beenavailable, none of them, sofarI as We know, is of general use inaccurately providing a specially removed portion from the margin oredgerof a card or the like, particularly if' accuracy in location of theremovedportion is essential and particularly insofar as the transverselocation is concerned. Thismatter becomes off considerable importancewhen punched cards are utilizedfor the purpose of recording orrepresenting data and is a vital factor when the location ofthe punchedout por.- tions, both transversely. and longitudinally is relied upon inrepresenting or storing the data.

CTI

Itis therefore an object of our invention to provide a hand punch foruse ony cards or the like which does not require any change in techniqueor knowledge of an operator for its use, but does provide an accuratepunched out portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card punchin which thepositioning or location of the punch, both transversely andlongitudinally with respect to a designated part of a card or the like,is easily and almost automatically effectue-ted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a card punchl in whichpunches can be made in accurate positions and locations with regard toeach other not only longitudinally and transversely but also in therotary or polar sense.

A- still further object of the invention is tq pro. vide a generallyimproved card punch.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained'in the preferredembodiment of the in. vention illustrated' inthe accompanying drawingsin which Figure 1 is a perspective ofA a punch constructed inaccordancewith the invention.

Figure 2 is a view to an enlarged scale of the punch shown in Figure l,portions being broken away'v to reduce the size of the gure and someparts being illustrated in a longitudinal crosssection.

Figure 3 s a cross-section, the plane of which is indicatedY by the line3-3 of Figure 2, the view being to a stillfurther enlarged: scale andshowing only the; actua-1 perforating or cutting part of thepunchmechanism.

In,4 its preferred form, the-card punch of thev invention comprises apair of levers pivoted to- 2,n getherformovement betweenan open positionand aV closed position. Oneofthefleverszis provided With a generallyplanar platform having a pair of laterally spacedl abutments havingcoplanar front faces upstanding from each side of the platform andbetween them leaving space in the platform forran aperturedisposed'between or in part between the abutments themselves. Theotherlever ofthe pairis formedwith-fa,.-cutfV ting head on it which inthe openpositionof the punch is free vandclear-of Ythe apert-urerbutwhich in the closedpositionV of thepunch extends-.into and ratherclosely-v occupies.- the aperture.-V vIn addition, the cuttingy headhasformed on it a projection,- preferably disposed betweenthelateral sides:of the headv andnearthe abutment Walls on the first lever and located.irisuch a way with respect to the cutting head-thatit serves as apositioning. device for a card tobe punched. The extension.orprojection. is so. disposed' and located andis ofV such a,dimensionthat. it never moves out ofthe aperture but always, in .bothopenv and closedpositons of thelpunch, extends intothe mentonedaperture.

While the paper punchof the inventionisap: plicable to many different,uses and is. embodied in variantiprms dependingi in part, upon suchdifferent uses, it hasbeen. successfully embodied and employedu asshownhenein and especiallrfor. use in connectionwith. a card of. thetype. dis: closed in our @Depending application entitled Punch Card,ledebruary 1.1.., 1.94.9, With .Sell No'75,7'78. v

` The punch card,lpart ially, illustrated hereinin FigureI 3,- isa sheet6 of suitable material yliaviifig an edge 'l` or' margin formed not onlywith1 angenf eral rectilinear boundary 8 but alsowith indentations 9'or-scallops or cut-out-portions locatedjace curately with respectV to*eachv other laterally, or transversely ofthe card and extending intotheedge? of the card a predetermined distance. The card usuallyY carries'further indicia, v not uillus-'- trated`- herein becausethey form`nopart ofthe present invention; but which are 'relatedbypos'i tion tothenotched ori scalloped portions 9. The form ofthe card and its normalindicia are'such thatlsome of the card'is cut awayV or punchedoutfromthe edge in order to alterordesignate the` indiciaf or display andthereforeto alteror' change thedataindication of the card.

In accordance. with our invention, we utilize the' accurate relationshipbetween the. indicia ilzresentV on the card (iv and theinden'tatiorisfer notches: 9 in connection-with our-punchlto aff j fd'an; 635%. Quick. and. accurate fdataindicatingcard structure.

The punch itself, for this purpose, includes generally a pair of leversI2 and I3 of the customary sort, crossed and articulated bv a pivot pinI4 in the usual fashion. The contour of the levers adjacent the pivot I4is such that in one position, an open position, a stop I6 on one of thelevers is engaged by a stop I1 on the other lever to limit their openingmovement. The levers are normally urged into such open position by acoil spring I8 situated between the handles and held in position byprojections I9 and 2I thereon. As so formed and arranged, the levers aremovable between an open position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and aclosed position in which the handles of the levers I2 and I3 are closetogether.

In accordance with the invention, one of the levers. for example thelever I2, adiacent the pivot connection I4 is bifurcated or forked toprovide a side wall 22 and a side wall 23. These walls are extendedforwardly and downwardly to provide sides of a compartment 24 formed inthe handle for the reception of punched out portions of cards. The leveris also provided with a rearward wall 26 for the compartment and inwhich a fastening 21 is fixed to secure in rotated position a coverplate 28 adapted to form the lower boundary of the compartment 24. Afinger proiection 29 assists the user in swinging the plate 28 to oneside when the contents of the compartment 24 are to be discharged.

The compartment is likewise bounded by a forward wall 3i, having arounded nose 32. This extends to merge into an upper platform 33 notonly providing an upper boundary for the compartment 24 but alsoproviding a generally planar platform 34 approximately radial to thelaxis oi the pivot pin I4. Part of the upper wall 33 is not co-planarwith the forward platform 34 but rather is raised slightly, although ittapers rearwardly, to provide a forward ledge 36.

The upper wall 33 is not continuous but rather is interrupted orperforated or pierced to provide a through aperture 31 extending fromthe platform 34 into the compartment 24 and extending between the sidewalls 22 and 23. Preferably, the aperture 31 is given a standardcontour, for example circular cylindrical, and in effect merges with theledge 36. In order to afford a special or desired contour of theaperture for punch purposes. the upper wall 33 itself in its forwardportion, at least, is somewhat enlarged to provide a socket 38 intowhich is pressed and positioned a female cutting member 39 having acircular cvlindrical outside contour but having a special inner cuttingcontour 4I, in this instance substantially a para-bola.

The parabolic cutting edge 4I is of such an extent that it is disposedlaterally between the side walls 22 and 23, and extends longitudinallyinto the space 42 between the walls 22 and 23. Stated differently. theside walls 22 and 23 extend forwardly with respect to the planarplatform 34 beyond the confines of the opening 4I and in fact end inupright faces 43 and 44 which are co-planar transversely of the cardpunch and extend substantially perpendicular to the planar face of theplatform 34 so that the forward wall ends 43 and 44 serve accurately asabutments or stops.

The other lever I3 of the punch has a central finger 46 disposed betweenthe side walls 22 and 23 and projecting forwardly between such walls toa point adjacent the aperture 31. The forward end of the finger isprovided with an enlarged cutting head 41 having in a transversecrosssection a suitable shape, generally a parabolic contourapproximately to nt the parabolic aperture 4I. While the shapeillustrated in Figure 3 is preferred, other suitable and complementaryshapes of the cutting head and of the die 39 can be readily provided.The cross-sectional shape of the cutting head 41 is extended as asurface of revolution about the axis of the pivot pin I4 so that as thehandle I2 and I3 are squeezed together by the user, the cutting head 41can move from its first or open position, entirely out of the aperture31, into a second or closed position in which at least part of thecutting head extends into the aperture 31 or into the general zone ofthe die 39.

In the normal, open position of the punch, a card placed on the planarplatform 34 and thrust toward the pivot pin I4 does not contact thecutting head 41 at all and is not stopped until it reaches the abutments43 and 44. That relationship affords a longitudinal alignment betweenthe card edge and the punch and provides for a. definite depth orlongitudinal dimension of cut.

In accordance with our invention, we provide additional means foraccurately positioning a card. Such means include a projection 5Idepending from the cutting head 41 and in fact forming part of it inusual manufacture. The projection 5I in cross-sectional contour ispreferably comparable to the die and, as shown, is of parabolic shape.It is of a sufficient extent always to have at least a portion lyingwithin the aperture 31 below the cutting die 39 so that some part of theprojection 5I is always in the path of a card inserted into the punchand being moved toward the abutments 43 and 44. The projection 5I is notitself a cutting member as its forward or leading edge is roundedparabolically as shown in Figure 3 especially. It is disposedequidistantly between the side walls 22 and 23 and extends in part aheadof the abutment walls 43 and 44 and in part behind them.

In the usual use of this punch, a card of the sort shown in Figure 3 isintroduced into the space between the upper and lower levers, that isbetween the cutting die 39 and the enlarged head 41 until a notch 9 orscallop or cut-out portion of the card is in engagement with theprojection 5I. Such interengagement between that projection and the cardnot only serves in addition to gage the depth of the punch to be made inthe edge of the card but especially locates the punch laterally ortransversely with respect to the card. Furthermore, in the initialengagement of the card with the punch, as soon as the card is inabutment with the walls 43 and 44, no rotation or polar movement of thecard is possible. Except for a vertical motion, therefore, the card isexactly and entirely positioned. Since the notches 9 are slightly largerthan the nose or leading edge 0f the projection 5I, even an unskilledoperator simply by moving the punch along the straight edge of the carduntil the appropriate notch is encountered and then forcing the card andpunch slightly closer together can readily locate the punch and the cardwith extreme accuracy both longitudinally and laterally comparable tothe parabolic outline 4|. During that time, the depending projection 5lslides or in effect rotates against the notch 9 in the card thusmaintaining the cards position from the time of original positioning ofthe card entirely through the cutting operation. It is thus not possibleto displace the card and spoil the cut as to accuracy by accidentlyshifting or moving the punch as the cutting operation is progressing. Assoon as the projection 41 has passed entirely into the cutting die 39, apart of the card has been severed and falls into the compartment 24 forlater removal. Upon the severance of the portion corresponding to theoutline 4l, the card itself is entirely free from the punch and the twoare then readily separated.

We claim:

1. A card punch comprising a. pair of levers pivoted together formovement between an open position and a closed position, the first ofsaid levers having a planar platform and a pair of laterally spacedtransversely aligned abutments upstanding from said platform, therebeing an aperture in said platform in part disposed between saidabutments, a cutting die mounted in said aperture flush with saidplatform, the second of said levers having a cutting head thereon insaid open position being out of said die and in said closed positionextending into said die, and a projection on said cutting head at theside adjacent the lever pivot and extending into said aperture outwardlyof and between said abutments.

2. A card notching device, comprising: a pair position said notchingdevice in predetermined position along the edge of said card.

"LE ROY M. osBoRNE.

BERGER. STOCKFLETH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 395,342 Nakashjian Jan. 1, 18891,667,985 Parnell May 1, 1928 1,909,360 Jorgenson et al. May 16, 19332,058,719 Pigman Oct. 2'7, 1936 2,224,226 Jensen Dec. 10, 1940 2,404,985Rembold July 30, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 130,494Switzerland Feb. 16, 1929

